Stop motion for flexible-tube-making machines



Jam 15, 1924,

S. W. EOURN STOP MOTION FOR FLEXIBLE TUBE MAKING MACHINES Filed NOV. 9, 1922 3 1072/1 an 1 1/. Baa rn Patented Jan. 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES STEPHEN W. BOURN, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

STOP MOTION FOR FLEXIBLE-TUBE-MAKING MACHINES.

Application filed November 9, 1922. Serial No. 599,955.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN W. BOURN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stop Motions for Flexible-Tube-Making Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in machines for making flexible conduit such as that used for covering wires or cables or for other purposes. and the object of this invention is to provide an electrlc stop motion for such a machine so that if any of the parts of the work such as the core, the strip of metal which is wound into tubular form about the core, the tube itself, or the frame carr ing the same should by the action of the mac ine be thrown, or caused to move, out of its normal line of travel an electrical connection will be automatically made to stop the machine.

The nature and advantages of the invention will be better understood when the following detailed description is taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the invention residing in the combination and arran ement of parts as claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views and wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved armor tube forming machine showing the electric circuit, and the arrangement of the circuit closure adapted to be operated when the parts move from their normal line of travel.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the ma chine.

Figure 3 is a detail showing the fork form of circuit enclosing member through which the' electric circuit is completed when the stri moves from its normal line of travel whi e being fed to the winding point.

Figure 4 shows one of the contact membersadapted to be moved to close the circuit wheniengaged by the core.or its, covering when .they are loosened up and thrown from their normal line of travel duringthe revolving action of theirrespective reels.

Figure 5 is a section of line 55 of Figure 4. p

Figure 6 is a top View showing the clutch Figure 8 is a side elevation showing the core of the magnet as retaining the clutch arm against the pull of the spring.

It is found in practice in the operation of machines of this character that often the take-up reel for the tubing fails to operate at the proper speed, or for other reasons, the tubing becomes slack and while being revolved rapidly in a loop form as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 1 it is apt to strike the attendant, or strike portions of the machine and injure the tubing, or the'machine, or in other cases, for certain reasons the wire at the opposite end of the machine also sometimes becomes loosened or looped; also the strip upon being improperly fed to the machine soi'netimes becomes caught and is caused to loop or buckle out of its normal line of travel, and in all or anyof these cases it is found of advantage to provide means for stop1: ing the machine until-the diflicnlty has been straightened outby the atendant, and the following is a-detailed description of one means by which'this result is accomplished.

With reference to the drawings, 10 designates the, frame of the machine in part of which a set of strip feeding and grooving rolls 11 are rotatably mounted for feeding the strip 12 to the point 13 where it is continuously wound into a tubular conduit or covering 14. The tube thus formed is taken up or wound upon the reel 15, which is mounted to rotate upon its axes in the frame 16, being driven through the. gears 17, and belt 18, and this frame 16 is caused to revolve by means presently described to rotate the reel and end over end to accommodate the twist or ro ationof the tube as formed.

At the right of this machine is mounted a rotatable frame 19., on which is mounted the core supply reel 20, the samebeiug adapted to rotate on the shaft 21, an'd'to carry the wire 22 that is fed therefrom through the guides 23 into the tube 14. which is being wound about this wire core. a

The strip feeding and shaping rolls 11 and or b in Figure 1, and when such a condition occurs the machine should be stopped until the difiiculty has been remedied by the attendant.

To accomplish this stoppin of the ma chine in a simple and practicaI way, I have included the machine in a normally open electric circuit, and in this circuit I have connected a solenoid magnet 31. The core 32 of this magnet is caused to engage the rear outer end of the clutch operating arm 33, which is pivoted at 34 to hold its sliding member in operating engagement with the opposite member thereof against the tension of the spring 36, so that when the solenoid is energized the core is with-drawn from the arm 33 permitting spring 36 to act and separate the clutch members, thereby discon necting the driving shaft and stopping the machine.

In order to close this circuitv to energize this magnet, I have mounted circuit closing switches 37 and 38 upon standards 39 and 40 respectively, which switches as shown in Figures 4 and 5 are provided with an upper arm 41 and a lower arm 42, the latter being normally in circuit with the machine through which wire 43 of the circuit is grounded. The contact 44, carried in the upper arm of this switch is insulated there from and is connected to the main circuit through wire 45, and when the cable 14 or the core wire 22 becomes slack and is thrown out into loop form beyond the revolving frame as illustrated at either a or b in Figure 1, then they will engage the arm 41 of the contact member, which is normally held open by means of spring 45, and drive it down so that the. two contacts 46 and 47 will be in engagement. which will complete the circuit through the machine and through the battery 48 or other sources of power to energize the solenoid and release the clutch to be moved into inoperative position and so stop the machine.

Instead of providing a contact member as illustrated in Figure 4 for the strip 12, I have provided a fork-shaped contact member 49, which is insulated from the ma-' chine and when the strip 12, which is normally in circuit when the machine moves sufficiently out of its normal line of travel to engage either of the arms of the fork 49 the circuit is closed through a wire 50 to energize the solenoid and so stop the machine.

In some instances it is found of advantage to provide an alarm for audihly indicating that the machine. is stopped, Therefore. to accomplish this I have mounted in the electric circuit a hell 5! which when the circuit is closed. will ring and so indicate to the attendant that the machine is stopped and requires attention.

My improved mechanism for automatically stopping the machine when the parts of the machine or of the work are thrown fromthcir normal line of travel, enables an attendant to operate a large number of such machines with the assurance that if the machine fails to operate properly the same will automatically stop and wait his attention to remedy the trouble.

The machine shown 'or closing the circuit. and stopping the machine is only one "form of many that might be employed for this purpose and yet fall within the spirit of this invention.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire. it to he understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible. the invention beingdefined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a flexible conduit making machine, means for winding a stripof metal into tubular form, means for feeding the strip to the point of winding, means for advancing the tube as wound and means for automatically stopping the machine-if the strip or tube move from their normal line of travel.

2. In a flexible conduit making machine, means for winding a strip of metal into tubular form about a core. means for feeding the strip to the point of winding. means for advancing the core andits tubular covering as wound, and electrically actuated means for automatically stopping the machine when the core, the strip'or tubular coverintr is caused to move from their normal line of travel.

3. In a flexible conduit making machine, means for winding a strip ofmetal into tubular form about a core means for feeding the strip to the point of winding, means for advancing the core and its tubular covering as wound, an electric circuit, a motor controlled stop motion for said machine in said circuit, and means whereby said motor is caused to operate its stop motion to stop the machine when the core, strip or covering moves a predetermined amount from its normal line of travel.

4. Ina flexible conduit making machine means for winding a strip of metal into tu- 'bular form. means for feeding the strip to the point of winding, means for advancing the tube as formed, an electric circuit, a motor in said circuit and means whereby'said motor is energized and caused to stop said machine when said strip or tube is moved out of its normal line of travel.

5. In a flexible conduit making machine, means for winding a strip of metal into tubular, form, means for feeding the strip to the 10 cuit to stop the machine when engaged by 15 said rotating parts. I

In testimony whereofI affix my si' nature. STEPHEN W. BO RN. 

